By Mitchell Jennings, Manning River Times
Chairman of the Manning Alliance Peter Epov received a standing ovation following his testimony to the parliamentary inquiry into coal seam gas mining held at Club Taree on Monday afternoon.
The afternoon session of the inquiry heard compelling testimony from various community groups with local farmer Bruce Robertson's testimony greeted with similar enthusiasm from the public gallery.
Mr Epov gave an impassioned opening statement in which he highlighted, amongst other things, the amount of former government workers now employed by the coal seam gas mining industry.
"We do not like the fact that so many former politicians, staffers and government employees are now working for this industry, it's a little like insider trading."
Mr Epov also suggested that policy makers did not have the public mandate to implement such huge structural change.
"Further, Mr Chairman, we would strongly argue that neither the current Sate Government, nor Mr O'Farrell, nor Mr Bromhead have an explicit mandate to make such a structural change to our way of life."
In his testimony, local farmer Bruce Robertson called for a full review of the AGL Gloucester Gas Program which he said was, "poorly implemented in the final days of a floundering State Government," and also stated his belief that as a region the Manning Valley was particularly unsuitable for coal seam gas mining.
"There is this PR myth being spun that agriculture and coal seam gas mining can work concurrently in the Manning. This is not Chinchilla this is not Roma, this is densely populated area, largely unseasonal, and subject to flood."
Mr Robertson also highlighted the lack of transparency in the process.
"People are worried, nervous and scared because the process is not consultative or transparent."
Chairperson of Tourism Advancing Gloucester Thomas Davey also highlighted a lack of transparency in the process when speaking about the negative impacts coal seam gas could have on Gloucester's emerging 'green' tourism industry.
"It's very difficult to get any picture of what a coal seam gas well actually looks like, we've all seen the Santos ads on television and they don't show wells they show cows," Mr Davey said to laughter from the gallery.
Mr Davey also called coal seam gas pipelines "a scar on the face of Gloucester's beauty."
"If I can leave you with just three words they would be "mining kills tourism," Mr Davey concluded
Retired Gloucester psychiatrist Dr Steve Robinson, who was extensively questioned by the panel, addressed the inquiry stating his belief that policies regarding new mining should include mental health specialists in the consultative process.
"Against big companies people feel helpless and hopeless."
Councillor Michael Johnson of Upper Hunter Shire Council also stated his belief that under current legislative conditions the balance of power lies with the explorer and not the land owner.
Cr Johnson, whose own council has experience in dealing with the issue, highlighted a need for a base minimum rate of remuneration to protect landowners.
"If there isn't a base minimum standard that furthers feelings of dislocation within the community," Cr Johnson said.
He also said that the community, and not just individuals, need to be compensated through payments to local councils to fund new infrastructure requirements.
"Any new mining will have impact on local infrastructure and at present there is no recourse for local governments to recover those costs."
Following the compelling afternoon of testimony, Manning Alliance chairman Peter Epov expressed disappointment that Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead had not been present for the testimony of himself and Mr Robertson.
"Mr Bromhead has been on radio saying he wants to come out and hear what the community has to say on this issue and yet he was not present when the community addressed the inquiry."
Mr Bromhead, still nursing his injured leg, was present for most of the inquiry's morning
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